Most Powerful Video Card for 150$ - Radeon 6870

robcardiv · 10 Feb 2012

( ( Updated After Suggestions ) )

I have 150$ to spend on a Video Card and 130-150 to spend on a CPU for a Gaming Rig. I want the highest Gaming Framerate I can get on games like Battlefield, Skyrim, GTA IV

PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmarks - High End Video Cards
PassMark Intel vs AMD CPU Benchmarks - High End

It looks like the Radeon 6870 (154$) and AMD FX 6100 Chip are two most powerful Items you can get for 150$ each.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103962
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161389

Are these the best two parts I can get for 150 each? or can anyone recommend anything better that I may have missed.

So this Motherboard should work fine correct? I had to get a cheap one.
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-M68MT-S2 AM3+ NVIDIA GeForce 7025/nForce 630a chipset Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
The cheapest AM3+ motherboard shouldnt limit the CPU or GPU in any real ways right?
This motherboard Details shows that it works with DDr3 1600 Ram, so ANY 1600 speed DDr3 Ram should work correct?

As for Ram,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820220572
1.5v is best? or do I want 1.9v?

Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182199

Solarstarshines · 10 Feb 2012

motherboard ?

I dont see you having anything listed you sure you can use a FX chip ?

Please tell us if you are upgrading or building a new system, and what parts you have so far

1foxracing · 10 Feb 2012

Please don't use that $15 power supply, I guarantee you will disappointed if you use that. I would recommend a unit made by Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, or PC Power & Cooling. Your RAM choice is the wrong voltage, you want something rated at 1.5V.

stormy13 · 10 Feb 2012

1foxracing said:

Please don't use that $15 power supply, I guarantee you will disappointed if you use that. I would recommend a unit made by Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, or PC Power & Cooling.

That can not ne stated enough. You really want to trust a cheap power supply to reliably powert several hundred dollars worth of computer parts? One thing for certain is that if and when (likely when) those cheap power supplies blow themselves up is that they really like to take other components with them. Some light reading on why you don't get cheap power supplies,

The Bargain Basement Power Supply Roundup Review

Power Supply Information and Selection - Tech Support Forum

Also regarding the motherboard, avoid anything with a Nvidia chipset in it. Support for them has basically stopped, and Nvidia also not making chipsets anymore. Better to get an AMD based board.

Your RAM choice is the wrong voltage, you want something rated at 1.5V.

Actually it is fine. I have almost identical spec'ed Kingston ram in mine and it runs without a hitch. It runs at 1.5V when run at 1333 MHz, and at 1.65 when run at 1600 MHz.

stormy13 · 10 Feb 2012

That one is as bad or worse than the previous one you linked too. It may say it is a 600W power supply, but a good quality 450W will be far better. Personally I wouldn't trust it to power a light bulb reliably. You want a power supply to run what you're planning, you're going to have to go up on your budget. I wouldn't be looking at anything less than something like one of these,

Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts EA-500D Green 500W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

The ram you picked is OK. A $15.00 case would likely rank about the same as those power supplies you picked, in that it likely won't have very good airflow which is needed to help keep things cool. Something like this which just came out this week (why it isn't available yet, but should be soon),

Newegg.com - Antec Gaming Series One Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

would be a good choice.

You don't specify which CPU for this, but I would be looking at a minimum of an AMD 870 (970 would be better) based board.

Solarstarshines · 10 Feb 2012

Can't stress enough how important that information is good thing you were asked

Understandable budget is a issue but choosing good parts on a budget is a even greater challenge cause in the end you will be selling yourself short

Follow my fellow members advice get a 80 bronze certified Psu suitable board ram with atleast 1.5 volts also you could get a BE chip or the 4100 fx chip for a little cheaper

It pays to do extensive homework you will be much happier in the end

Solarstarshines · 10 Feb 2012

The Psu is fine

The Mother board i would recommend getting one with out onboard graphics if you are supplying your own

As far as the ram issue go you should read the QVL qualified vendors list this will issue the best performance ram for that board

You are getting a little better at choosing quality parts but honestly i think you could do better Newegg.com - BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10

These are already cheaper then what you were looking at
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDX925WFK4DGM - Processors - Desktops

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDZ980FBK4DGM - Processors - Desktops

I would go that route and the board itself is a hd4250 so if your not gaming you wouldn't need a video card but that is up to you

robcardiv · 10 Feb 2012

This is a gaming upgrade only.

The second Cpu you listed cost 10 dollars more and is 20 spaces lower on the performance charts than the Fx 6100.
PassMark Intel vs AMD CPU Benchmarks - High End

Specifically what is it about the mobo you listed that makes it better than the one I listed? just so i know what to watch out for : ) it capped out at 1333 ram instead of 1600 like the cheaper one I listed.
Besides the "lets stay away from nvidia chipsets". Im not sure what any problems could be,

Solarstarshines · 10 Feb 2012

it may have high passmarks but it still doesnt perform all that super like it was supposed to yes people say it is fast and it over clock's high but still not to many apps utilize more then 4 cores but then again things have changed

Like said before it is up to you

Stormy was reffering to Nvidia chipset motherboards no longer have support meaning you will have big issues in the long run AMD based board like the one i showed you all AMD

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103849

stormy13 · 10 Feb 2012

What Solar said above. Also if you're going to go with a FX series CPU I would really only look at the 970 and up based boards. Reason being is that as I understand it they have a newer/updated power subsystem design to work with the FX CPU's, where the older boards basically only had the socket changed from AM3 to AM3+ and doesn't have the updated power circuitry.

Same goes for any and all Nvidia based boards, unless any of the few remaining manufacturers used the updated circuitry (doubtful), and not just changed the socket and added a bios update.